


count the months, savor the moments

by emptypalm



Category: Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Spartacus: Vengeance
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-18
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-02 04:17:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/364886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptypalm/pseuds/emptypalm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern AU filled with MMA fighting, sex, love, family, rivalry, awful jokes, spilled coffee, epigenetics, and probably some self realization down the line.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Article by Evelyn Brandon

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a multi-chaptered fic. This is an article written by columnist Evelyn Brandon for a men's health magazine, featuring Agron. It was certainly fun to write from this perspective, and I hope you enjoy! The tags for this story are for the overall story, not just the chapter.

**Fighter Spotlight: Agron talks about life, love, and refreshingly little MMA**  
Your favorite columnist spends time with one of the hottest MMA fighters in the cage right now, turned human.

  
  
It’s nearly two o’clock when I get a call from Agron, sounding a little rough over the phone. He apologizes profusely for missing my call and subsequently forgetting about the interview, claiming he thought it was tomorrow and offering that I could come over for questions if I had the time. He is nothing other than polite and cordial, sounding genuinely remorseful for the misunderstanding. With an article still to write, I accept and tell him that I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.  
  
Agron lives on the third floor of a relatively nice apartment complex in one of the more quiet neighborhoods. It’s in the college side of the city, probably a twenty minute walk to the nearest university. The building is old, with aged brick and ivy, but it’s definitely not the worst I have seen. When I find his door, it takes no longer than five seconds for him to answer. He looks a bit sheepish and sleepy—sweatpants and an old college sweatshirt on and a coffee mug in his hand.  
  
“Sorry again,” he says, ushering me inside and taking my coat. “My phone died during the night and I hate the alarm clock.”  
  
No problem, I say. Just make it worth my time.  
  
The coffee isn’t bad, though Agron does confess that his neighbor tends to sneak in and make it for him. He’s awful in the kitchen, prone to setting things on fire regardless of the recipe. His laugh his fond at this, something undeniably charming, as we sit at the island in his kitchen. His apartment is decently sized and clean; I comment that he’s impeccably neat for a bachelor.  
  
Agron’s shrug is careless. “I like a clean house. Drives me crazy otherwise. Who can work in mess?”  
  
Me.  
  
“Oh,” he says through another laugh, raising his mug as if in a toast. “Then more power to you.”  
  
We chat aimlessly for a while, and before I know it he’s asking more questions about me than I am of him. I comment on this and receive another warm laugh and shrug, the coffee mug set aside as Agron states that he’s more of a private person and has never really been one for interviews. It’s hard to understand why, though, considering how comfortable he seems and how easy he starts talking.  
  
Agron is the oldest of five children, born in a small town in Germany right beside the Rhine River. “Between Cologne and Bonn, not that anyone ever knows where that is,” he jokes. His mother and father moved to the city when he was ten, and then back to Germany when all the kids were grown. “Still disgustingly in love,” as he claims. All of his siblings stayed somewhere in America, though, with his only brother living fifteen minutes away and his sisters scattered across the country. There’s definitely pride in his voice as he says, “I’ve never worried about the girls, though. I pity anyone who thinks they could stand equal to Nadja, Janina, and Liesel.”  
  
High school was nothing worth mentioning, according to Agron. He didn’t have many problems with people, was generally agreeable, and made it out alive. It also didn’t hurt that he had so many siblings, he mentions. He always liked sports and played soccer, wrestled, and ran track. He was a fairly social, graduated with decent grades, and then took a year off to decide what he wanted to do and work to get some money saved up. After deciding to go to college, he applied for the Veterinary and Animal Science program with a concentration in Biotechnology at the local university.  
  
Why animal sciences?  
  
“I don’t know,” he says with a shrug, looking down into his barely filled mug. “I like animals and science. It seemed like a good mesh of worlds.”  
  
Are you doing anything with your degree?  
  
“If I was, we wouldn’t be talking.”  
  
It isn’t a snide comment, just simply a matter of fact. My look of confusion must have been rather evident, considering the elaboration that followed.  
  
“I got into MMA my freshman year. I had always liked working out, and, I mean, [my brother] Duro and I fought all the time. We still do, sometimes. There was this club on campus that I joined, and I got such a new appreciate of how the human body could work. And I loved it. I felt like I was really _doing_ something with myself. I liked school quite a bit, but I’m a restless person by nature. One day Oenomaus found me and asked if I had ever thought about doing it as a job. Now, I was only nineteen at the time, so of course I said yes when this legend comes up to me and asks me a question. He could have asked me if he could punch me in the face and I would have said yes—that man is a _God_.”  
  
There is no short amount of awe in his voice as he speaks about Oenomaus— the undefeated Light Heavyweight champion for almost four years, something that is practically unheard of. He was the one to find Agron and bring him into the world as far as the UFC was concerned. Oenomaus currently has two other prodigies—Spartacus, fighting under the Welterweight division, and Crixus, who is also in the Middleweight division with Agron. When I ask about the two, Agron laughs yet again.  
  
“Spartacus is a great guy and good friend—we hang out together a ton. He’s like a brother to me. Crixus is an ass, but he’s damn talented. Oenomaus likes to put us together in the cage and let us go sometimes. “  
  
And what does Crixus think about you?  
  
“You can ask him,” Agron says, pointing towards the door. “He lives across the hall.”  
  
Intentional?  
  
“Not at all. His girlfriend and my boyfriend get along pretty well, though, so maybe they had something to do with it. They work together at the cafe across the street. She’s actually the one that makes my coffee in the morning. We gave her a key one time to take care of Lily when we went on vacation and she’s yet to give it back.”  
  
Boyfriend?  
  
I could tell as soon as it left my mouth that it was something that Agron had been trying to avoid. An accidental slip of someone who was unused to hiding things, I guess. There’s a guarded look for a moment, a narrowing of eyes, before a long sigh.  
  
“He’ll be popping up eventually. I kinda forgot to ask him if it’s okay that I talk about him… so…”  
  
Say no more. This is an article about you, you decide what goes in it.  
  
Agron looks relieved to say the least, continuing on with his story from earlier. He loved animals and science, yes, but a degree was something that wasn’t going away. He had earned it and had gotten damn good grades in college despite the few concussions, so he decided that he should explore the world of UFC fighting.  
  
Did you ever think you’d get to be popular?  
  
“Popular enough for interviews? No, never,” Agron answers, honesty all over his face. “This is, what, maybe my fourth or fifth article written just about me? Me? The guy that takes forever to get out of bed, likes sci-fy movies, and sits on a bench in the park every Friday and feeds the ducks with his niece? It’s crazy to the point of being surreal. Am I even here right now?”  
  
You are indeed.  
  
He laughs, something that I’m getting quite used to by now. Agron is refreshingly open and warm, and it’s obvious as to why people are drawn to him. He’s genuine to a fault, with such an expressive face that I find myself smiling along with his stories without even meaning to. Agron is more than willing to share personal things—from his opinions on underwear (hint: he does not think highly of it) to what it was like immigrating to another country. There’s very little discussion about his career aside from the preliminaries, though.  
  
“I think my fighting speaks for itself. This is supposed to be a personal piece, isn’t it? The one thing that isn’t private about my life is my fighting. I put it all out there and I leave it in the cage, or in the gym. Here, at home? I get yelled at when I don’t wash out my dishes, and I clean up cat puke and take my turn with the litter box. I always think behind the scenes is a lot more interesting than what’s in front of you.”  
  
Eventually there’s been six cups of coffee between the two of us and a cat settled in my lap, purring contentedly.(“That’s Lily,” he explains, chin propped up on his palm as he watches her. “I’m a dog man myself, but Nasir found her one day and, well, the rest is history.”) We’re in the middle of a story about the time he almost soiled himself at a fair when the door jingles a bit and the sound of keys could be heard. It’s almost precious how he perks up, looking towards the door with a nervous smile on his face.  
  
The man that walks through is nothing that I expected. Easily half a foot shorter than Agron, with long hair pulled back into in a ponytail and dark skin. Lily is immediately off my lap and running towards the door, the man greeting her with a few quiet meows before looking up and seeing us. The freeze is impressive, definitely, as was the look of pure confusion and the string of curses that followed.  
  
“Your interview was today?” he asks, shucking a thick coat that reduced his size by half. “I thought it was tomorrow.”  
  
“So did I. Nasir, this is Evelyn. Evelyn, Nasir.”  
  
Nasir shakes my hand with a bright smile, just as warm and genuine as Agron. Their interaction seems natural but polite, a quick kiss before Nasir is getting some coffee for himself. Agron explains the situation to him, sums up our conversation thus far, and finally asks for his permission to discuss them.  
  
Nasir blinks once in surprise before taking a seat beside Agron. “Sure.”  
  
It turns out, the two of them met in a class while Nasir was a freshman and Agron was a senior, a five year difference between them since Agron took a year off between high school and college. They briefly argue over what class it was before dropping it with twin smiles and shrugs. Nasir is majoring in neuroscience, with a recently acquired minor in photography that has Agron rolling his eyes with a fond smile. They have been together for almost two years and, in Agron’s words, “still haven’t gotten sick of one another”.  
  
So Nasir, how do you feel about the MMA and UFC in regards to Agron?  
  
“Well,” Nasir begins, fingers wrapped around his mug tightly. “Would I prefer he was doing research on animal food or embryos? Yeah, of course. No one wants to see the person they love being hurt. But he’s good, damn good, and I see how happy it makes him. He works hard for what he does. Besides… I’ve met good people because of it. Mira, Naevia, Spartacus, Crixus, Oenomaus, Melitta, Gannicus, Saxa, Rhaskos, Donar, Lugo—they’re all wonderful people and have become like family with the amount of time we all spend together. I’m definitely missing people in there, but yeah. They’re wonderful. I usually head to the gym right after class to hang out, or even train a little.”  
  
You fight with them?  
  
“Occasionally,” he says through a shared laugh with Agron. “I’m small, but scrappy. The girls will get in on it, too. It’s _fun_ , but we’re not the ones in danger. I don’t know how many times Agron has come back to me bloodied and bruised.”  
  
So do you watch the fights?  
  
“I’ve never missed one.”  
  
I decide against any more serious questions about their relationship—you all know the ones. How being a homosexual in a socially constructed “masculine” sport has affected Agron, how homophobia and bigotry could interfere with his career, etc. I’ve done my research on Agron and nothing has come up on sexual preference, so I assume this will be the first article to discuss such, and I would like to take the time to say that I’m humbled to be given such an honor. While I consider myself a relatively liberal woman, it’s unfathomable to me that anyone could look at these two and see anything but love between them.  
  
With the clock rounding to five, we decide to end the interview. Nasir has been making dinner and asks me to stay with such sincerity it makes me smile. After declining, Agron at least demands that I let him walk me to the bus stop since it’s gotten dark. That I agree to, and we spend the time talking about what he’s comfortable with me putting in the article and what he would want to keep out.  
  
“I trust you,” Agron confesses, as though we have been friends for years instead of acquaintances for hours. “You seem like you have a good heart. Besides, it’s my first personal piece that hasn’t been about what I eat or how many situps I can do. And everything we talked about was personal in some way.”  
  
We wait for the bus for about ten minutes, idly chatting. It’s bitterly cold out and he stands in the way of the wind for me, seemingly unaffected as he continues to talk about his love for the sport, his career. How humbled he is that he can have people that want to see him fight, that appreciate him for what he’s doing and genuinely support him. He talks about his love for Nasir, sounding so natural about it that it warms the heart. He slips and calls him _schatz_ —German for treasure—and confesses that Nasir calls him _hayati_ or _habibi_ , which are both terms of endearment in Arabic. He talks a bit about his family, his life, and then finally thanks me for coming to talk to him.  
  
“I really am sorry about forgetting the interview was today,” he says again, holding a hand up for the bus to stop. He pays for my fare with a little smile. “But it’s been really nice. I’ve never done an interview like this before. I look forward to reading the article.”  
  
I look forward to writing it, I say, boarding the bus and watching Agron wave until he’s out of view.

_E. Brandon_

 

*

  
  
“That was certainly nice of her,” Nasir murmured, putting the magazine down and taking his glasses off before sliding his hands over Agron’s bare back.  
  
Agron had just _almost_ fallen asleep, sprawled out between Nasir’s legs with his head pillowed on the man’s stomach. His arms were around Nasir’s waist in a loose embrace as the man sat comfortably slouched against the headboard in their bed. Agron had already read Evelyn’s article more times than he’d care to admit, uncertain about how he felt about it but not too bothered. He had been right—Evelyn had taken care of him.  
  
“Yeah,” Agron agreed, eyes falling shut as Nasir’s fingers began working through his hair. “I’m happy with it.”


	2. Snowocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where snowocalpyse has come, Naevia makes bomb ass sandwiches, Crixus is an ass, Agron is doghoused and cockblocked, and Nasir just wants to get fucked and nap.

"Shit, shit," Agron mumbled under his breath, arms crossed tightly over his chest as best as he could as he made his way through the snowy sidewalk. It was getting dangerous out--the sky dark and foreboding, despite being around two thirty in the afternoon. His trip to the store had only been about fifteen minutes and the weather had been perfectly _fine_ before he left. But no, now it was snowocalypse and Agron could barely see three feet in front of him with the thick snow falling about.  
  
The apartment was a welcomed sight, worn brick barely visible with the weather. An armful of groceries made the trip a little more difficult, bags clinging to his wrists as he typed in the code on the keypad and used his ass to open the door. Two flights of creaking stairs, the small of his back aching at the awkward weight put to his body completely disregarded. The keys to the apartment were a struggle, propping one of the bags against his thigh and the wall as he managed to get the key in and push open the door.  
  
"Hey," Naevia greeted casually from the couch, curled up under a blanket with Lily beside her.  
  
Agron wasn't even surprised, really. He couldn't count the amount of times he had left an empty apartment only to come back to find Naevia doing _something_. "Help me with the damn groceries," he said instead, offering one bag-laden arm to Naevia.  
  
There was no argument, Naevia standing up and grabbing three of the eight bags that Agron had managed to lug almost a mile. The door was kicked shut by Agron, toeing off the snow boots in his path to the kitchen. Naevia was quick to place the bags on the island, already rummaging through them and putting away some of the items that belong in the fridge.  
  
"Have you seen Nasir?" Agron asked, placing the bags down and removing his coat. There was snow marking the short trip from door to kitchen, something he knew he'd have to get a towel to clean up. Better now then later, Agron leaving the kitchen to disappear into the short hallway to the bathroom.  
  
"No, I haven't. I thought he was supposed to be done at two thirty today, though. Hasn't he texted you?"  
  
" _Fuck_."  
  
"What?"  
  
Agron skirted out of the bathroom and to the right, entering their bedroom with a skid of socked feet against the floor. He didn't even bother to answer, too preoccupied with getting to his phone as quickly as possible. He jumped onto the bed gracelessly, managing to snatch his phone from where it had been left to charge almost two hours ago on the nightstand. The fear that had settled in the pit of his stomach was solidified by the three texts and six missed calls he had received from _schatz_.  
  
"Oh _fuck_!"  
  
Another sprint, body sent into survival mode. He didn't know how many times Nasir had yelled at him for not having his phone, but it was a reoccurring fight. Agron was just forgetful, and he hadn't been raised with a phone. He had been twenty when he decided it was probably a good idea to get one. But he knew the practicality in having one, and knew that it only worked if you actually _carried_ it on you.  
  
("I just like knowing that if there's an emergency or if I need you, I can get a hold of you," Nasir had said, hands on either side of Agron's face to kiss his forehead softly. "So do this, _habibi_. For me.")  
  
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, he is going to _kill_ me!" Agron shouted, grabbing a sweatshirt for Nasir before running out of the room. He almost tripped over Lily in his haste as the cat was making her way to no doubt snooze in their bed, hissing out and dashing into the bathroom for safety.

 

_schatz_ 2:28  
almost done with class, can you pick me up? snowacolypse. i did not dress for this shit.  
  
 _schatz_ 2:37  
so help me god if you don't have your phone with you  
  
 _schatz_ 2:45  
every time i told you i loved you, i lied

 

"He wanted me to pick him up. I am so fucking dead," Agron said, barely avoiding slipping on the water left by snow only moments ago. He grabbed a scarf from the coat rack, winding it around his neck with haste. His body could warm it for Nasir. The coat came next, hood tugged up over his hair to shrug it on properly. No, _two_ coats, both for Nasir.  
  
Naevia's snort was amused, looking over her shoulder from placing a box of pasta in the cabinets. "You're right, he _is_ going to kill you," she agreed, offering him a bright smile. "I'll make lunch before I have to go to class, though. What do you want?"  
  
Agron nearly fell as he hopped into his boots. "Two sandwiches. Turkey and swiss on wheat, no mayo, lettuce and tomato. You know what Nasir likes, _please_." Agron was not above begging, one hand catching the back of Naevia's neck to press a quick kiss to her temple before fleeing the apartment.  
  
  


***

  
  
"Nasir," Agron called, the window rolled down and his SUV reaching a top speed of a whopping five miles per hour. "Nasir, get in the car."  
  
It had taken him two minutes to get out of the apartment, seven to clean off his car, and ten in order to find his lovely boyfriend. Nasir had been right--he hadn't dressed for the cold. Dark skinny jeans leading down to brown boots, a hoodie that Agron recognized as his from how it fit being the only protection from the cold. Actually, he did have yellow scarf he was fairly certain was Naevia's. Arms crossed over his chest, chin tucked under the scarf, Agron couldn't help but be just the slightest bit amused by the entire thing. Snow catching in his dark hair, he looked beautiful, even while brooding.  
  
"I bet you're cold," Agron called, eyes flicking back to the road briefly to make sure he wasn't going to hit anything. "I have your seat warmer on _and_ I brought you more clothes. Warmed by my body."  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
He knew laughing wouldn't help the situation, so he hid a snicker in his bicep. He _did_ feel bad. It was cold out, and he could tell that Nasir was freezing. There was snow gathered on every inch of the hoodie, sticking to it and making the once light gray practically black. The boots probably weren't holding up against the seven inches of snow on the ground, either, and his hair looked wet from where snow must have melted.  
  
"I'm playing Death Cab for you. It's Plans."  
  
Nasir paused at that, looking at Agron for the first time since Agron pulled up beside him on the street. A one way, thankfully, with no sane person attempting the weather apparently. Agron tried his best grin, hoping his dimples would do the work for him. And Nasir did falter, but not nearly enough to see Agron out of the doghouse.  
  
"What's the point of having a phone if you never fucking check it?" Nasir snapped, a little hiss to his voice that made him look more like a wet cat than anything else. He did stop, though, approaching the car with a scowl. "How much a month do you pay for your blackberry?"  
  
"Nasir--"  
  
" _How much?_ "  
  
"I don't know," Agron answered honestly, rubbing a hand over his hair. "I just pay for our phones together. I don't bother to look. You do."  
  
Nasir rolled his eyes. "A hundred and twenty dollars, Agron. That's how much you pay."  
  
Agron stopped the car, putting it in park and letting out a long sigh. "You know I just used it for emails," Agron defended immediately, pausing at the sharp look in Nasir's eyes. Right, probably the wrong thing to say. "I'm _sorry_ , really. I know I should look at my phone more. Just get in the car and you can yell at me in our nice, warm apartment." The first hint of Nasir cracking was evident in the slump of his shoulders, prompting Agron further. "Preferably naked, because it's so much harder to be angry when you're naked and warm."  
  
There was a deeper frown then, Nasir tilted his head up to look at the snow falling from the sky. "Snowpocalypse would definitely be better spent inside," he admitted, lifting a brow to Agron.  
  
"Yeah, and Naevia is even making us lunch." Agron knew he had him at that, the interest licking into those brown eyes when they met his own.  
  
"Sold. But I'm still mad at you. I think my boots are ruined."  
  
Agron reached over to open the car door, Nasir slipping in as quickly as possible. He didn't even put the clothes on, just piling them all on top of him and settling into the warm seat. Agron was quick to take Nasir's hand, cold and wet, bringing it to his mouth for some kisses. "I'm sorry," he murmured again, against his knuckles, cold skin against the scruff of his cheek. "Really, _schatz_."  
  
Nasir rolled up the window, locking them inside with the warmth. "Yeah, yeah," Nasir said, though his thumb did pass over Agron's lips briefly. "Make it up to me later. And buy me new shoes."  
  
When Agron leaned over for a kiss he was granted one--a cold hand settling at the nape of his neck to send a shiver through him. It was a soft press of lips against lips, Nasir's cold but soon to warm under Agron's touch. All of him would, if they could manage to kick Naevia out.  
  
"I'm going to go ahead and not point out that you only walked about ten minutes away from campus," Agron mumbled against Nasir's mouth.  
  
He couldn't really do anything when Nasir bit him. He deserved it, after all.  
  
  


***

  
There were four sandwiches on the stove waiting for them in the apartment, a simple sticky note attached to the microwave above with a heart on it. He had carried Nasir up the stairs on his back, partially for forgiveness and partially for the work out. The email he received (ironically checked on his phone) said that he was under orders of Oenomaus to stay home and do some circuits with the equipment he had in the apartment. Which was perfectly fine with him, as it meant that he and Nasir could spend some quality time together. Alone.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
"Lock the door," Agron said as Nasir jumped down from his back. "Deadbolt and all."  
  
Nasir did as asked while Agron stripped out of all the wintry gear, wrinkling his nose at the wet noise of clothes hitting the ground. Nasir joined in, stripping and letting them drop to the ground for Agron pick them up. Doghouse, still, Agron could only smirk as he watched Nasir's bare ass retreat towards their bedroom, stopping only in the bathroom to grab a towel for his hair.  
  
Agron followed with that same smirk, wet clothes bundled in his arms. The clothes went to the bathroom, sent into the bathtub to be dealt with when he wasn't starving and seeking forgiveness. He popped into the bedroom, finding Nasir already under their thick comforter and lighter blanket, only the top of his head visible.  
  
"You look like a burrito," Agron commented.  
  
Nasir's hand immediately came out of the blanket, flipping Agron off.  
  
Agron laughed warmly, returning to the kitchen for the sandwiches. All he wanted was to slip under the covers with Nasir and relax with the knowledge that they both had nothing else to do. It had been a crazy week for the both of them--between Nasir's school work and Agron's training schedule, they were busy enough as is. But this week had been especially awful, with Nasir's winter break starting today that meant that he had papers, projects, and tests all week. Oenomaus' gym was getting a ridiculous amount of attention with the recent big wins, and Agron only assumed it would get worse once the articles about them were printed. They hadn't had much of an opportunity to do anything beside kiss before passing out in their bed, if they even managed to stay awake until the other got home.  
  
But now they were set. Agron was off for the rest of the day, Nasir was officially on vacation, and they were going to spend time together, damn it.  
  
Agron was fully aware of the fact that he had gotten off the hook so easily with Nasir was because they missed each other. It sounded stupid, because they still slept next to one another, still saw each other, but they hadn't really talked or touched. None of the little things that made them _them_. Two years together and they could still miss each other. It was a good feeling.  
  
The sandwiches were almost spilled with how quickly Agron wanted to get back. With the deadbolt locked there was no need to shut their bedroom door, instead leaving it wide open and sliding into bed after placing the plate down on the bedside table. A dark arm reached out as soon as his weight touched the mattress, fingers still cold when they slipped across Agron's bare stomach. Nasir was quick--the covers bunched in his hands before he pounced on top of Agron to trap him.  
  
The cocoon Nasir had managed to make was deliciously warm, Agron finding himself covered by the man in the dark. Their lips met hungrily, so much quicker than their usual pace but they had been robbed of this due to busy schedules. So Agron's hands quickly fitted themselves to Nasir's hips, tugging them against his own as they licked and bit at one another shamelessly.  
  
"You still mad at me?" Agron asked as soon as he was given the chance to breathe, licking kiss-bruised lips.  
  
Nasir's smile was a flash of white in the dark. "You'll have to make it up to me," he said with a pointed roll of his hips.  
  
Regardless of how hungry Agron was, he wasn't about to give up such an opportunity. "Yes sir," tumbled from his mouth, his hands going to Nasir's ass to _squeeze_ and pull him down faster. It was a frenzied rhythm of bucking and writhing, little moans gasped into each others' mouths and punctuated with smiles. Nasir's teeth found interest in Agron's neck, nipping and kissing with care to not leave a mark. Last time he had, Oenomaus had made Agron do push ups with Nasir sitting on his back until he almost passed out.  
  
Agron's phone ringing had them both jerking apart, Agron letting out a breathless laugh and kissing Nasir firmly as he pushed the blankets off of them to expose them to the outside world once more. The sweeping chill invaded their blankets, Agron reaching out to grab his Blackberry to check the name.

  
  
Incoming Call:  
Fuckass

  
Agron missed the glare from Nasir completely, answering the phone with a sharp snap of, "What the fuck do you want?"  
  
Nasir sighed out harshly. "Now you answer your fucking phone," he grumbled, sliding out of bed with a shake of his head. Agron reached a hand out to grab him to no avail, the Syrian smacking his hand away and moving straight to the bathroom. Agron didn't even bother to hide his groan of disappointment as the bathroom door slammed shut.  
  
"You borrowed my free weights two days ago and, surprise surprise, didn't return them," Crixus said, voice dry.  
  
Agron blinked. "So?"  
  
"Did you not get the email from Oenomaus?"  
  
"Dude, I am laying in fucking bed naked, what do you think?"  
  
"I'm thinking I didn't need that image. Ever. Open the fucking door."  
  
"No!"  
  
"It's not my fault you borrowed my free weights. Get your ass up or else I'm coming in. You forget I have a fucking key."  
  
" _You_ don't. _Naevia_ does. And the deadbolt is lock."  
  
" _I will break your shit down._ "  
  
Agron pulled the phone away just to shout, "Okay! Fucking fine!" loud enough to be heard throughout the apartment and most likely to Crixus outside. The desire to throw his phone was strong, but ignored, instead just hitting _end_ and tossing it gently onto the bed.  
  
Agron slipped out of bed with another sigh, finding a pair of sweats and stepping into them as he walked out of the bedroom. He paused at the bathroom, his knuckles rapping gently at the door. "Nasir--" A loud smack against the door had Agron jerking away in surprise, rubbing his hands over his face with a groan. "If it helps, I would rather be fucking you?" he offered.  
  
"Go fuck yourself!"  
  
The response wasn't necessarily unexpected, deciding it a battle best fought later. The shower started up, too, meaning that at least Nasir would calm down a bit. There was still the Crixus issue to deal with, who was currently pounding on the door with all the subtly of a bull. Agron grabbed the sandwiches from the room, taking one of his own and beginning to munch on it. God bless Naevia. Not so much her boyfriend, though.  
  
Agron opened the door with a jerk, walking away after to sit at the island in the kitchen. He didn't need to greet Crixus. The man was in his apartment practically every day.  
  
"Took you long enough," Crixus groused, comfortable enough to enter the apartment and go straight to where his free weights were in the corner of the living room.  
  
Agron lifted his sandwich in his own greeting, turning on the stool to watch Crixus with a raise to his brow. "There, your weights. Now get the fuck out," he said through a mouthful of food.  
  
The twenty-five pound free weights were lifted like nothing--meant to sculpt instead of build muscle for them. "Oh, that's right. Naevia told me you fucked up," Crixus commented, walking over to the kitchen to set the weights on the island. He motioned to Agron's other sandwich, Agron granting permission with a nod of his head. Crixus took the sandwich, opening it to check its contents, before taking a bite and a seat at the island. "What has the pup done to get himself sent to the doghouse?"  
  
Agron swallowed his mouthful, moving to the fridge to grab two waters. "I didn't have my phone and he needed a ride," he explained, opening the tops and handing one to Crixus.  
  
"Dude, how many times does he have to yell at you before you remember your phone?" Crixus asked with a shake of his head, almost spitting his mouthful of water through a laugh. "And you just answered my call. I bet he's thrilled."  
  
"You just cock blocked me so hard my future children felt it."  
  
Crixus' laugh was entirely too loud. "I'd say I'm sorry, except, you know, I'm not."  
  
"Yeah, no shit."  
  
Agron heard the shower shut off, the door to the bathroom opening a few moments later. He leaned back enough on the stool to see Nasir's back just before it disappeared into the bathroom with another slam of a door.  
  
Agron sighed. "Wanna do a few circuits together?" he asked, shoving the rest of his sandwich in the mouth.  
  
Crixus did the same, chewing thoughtfully with a nod. "Yeah, let's move the couch this time, though. Don't want you to bruise like a peach again, princess."  
  
"Fuck you," Agron snapped, pausing only to add, "asshole," for good measure.  
  
  


***

  
  
They were both sweating and panting on the floor when Naevia came over almost two hours later, wearing nothing but their small fighting shorts with a medicine ball and weights strewn around them. Agron barely had enough energy to lift his head, just knowing it was Naevia from the way Lily's bell went off and he heard meowing from both cat and human.  
  
"You know, for such a masculine sport, MMA sure is homoerotic," Naevia commented, coming to stand beside the both of them with Lily purring in her arms.  
  
"Hi honey," Crixus greeted, tilting his head to look at her with a fond smile. As docile as a house cat. Agron could only snort, receiving a sucker punch to the shoulder for it. "How was class?"  
  
Naevia shrugged, sitting between the two of them. Lily was out of her arms in seconds, instead hopping onto Agron's sweaty chest to knead his skin, claws and all. "It was class. Some pompous prick did a presentation today and pretended as though none of us have ever heard of Sinclair Lewis." The blank stares Naevia received had her sighing out. "Nobel Prize in 1930 for literature? Main Street? Ring a bell?"  
  
Agron managed to summon the strength to raise his hands in a defensive manner. "I studied Animal Sciences."  
  
"Kinesiology," Crixus added for himself.  
  
"Depressing, both of you," Naevia said, pointing an accusing finger to Crixus. "The German can slide, but _you_ were born in this country."  
  
Crixus took the hand into his own, lacing their fingers in their sickeningly sweet way. It never failed to amuse Agron, these two sides of Crixus. The one that just beat his ass in grappling and the one that would do anything for Naevia. It reminded Agron that Nasir had yet to surface within the apparent two hours they had been working out.  
  
"Has Nasir texted you?" Agron asked, slowly sitting up and peeling Lily off of his chest with little remorse. She shook her fur out in agitation, the bell on her collar ringing pleasantly before she was off. "I haven't seen him since Crixus cock blocked me."  
  
Crixus' laugh was still unapologetic, but even Naevia was chuckling along briefly. "Yeah, he did. Said he was going to take a nap."  
  
Probably for the best, Agron decided, standing up and cracking his neck with a low groan. He needed a shower, but needed food more. First priority was definitely Nasir, though, hoping to find his lover in better spirits after what he assumed was a two hour nap. He had had a crazy week and was probably exhausted--Agron didn't tend to take those sorts of things personally. If Nasir actually had a problem with _him_ , the man would have said something instead of hiding and slamming doors. After two years, Agron was more than accustomed to how Nasir blew off steam.  
  
Sleeping or sex.  
  
"We can do dinner here if you guys want--should be chicken in the fridge, pasta or rice in the cabinets. I'm going to go check on him," Agron said, jerking his head towards the kitchen.  
  
Naevia stood gracefully, offering her hands to Crixus to help him up. Never underestimating her strength, she hauled Crixus to his feet and helped him move the couch back. "Godspeed," Naevia said through a short laugh, arms looping around Crixus' waist to drag him to the kitchen. "And we'll start dinner."  
  
Agron nodded his thanks, fingers lacing and resting on the back of his neck to stretch his back while he walked to the bedroom. The door was unlocked--a good sign--and Agron only had to wrestle to keep Lily out for a few seconds before he could slip in.  
  
Nasir definitely wasn't sleeping considering there was no rumbling snoring in the room. So he was just nestled under the blankets, further confirmed when he poked his head out to look at Agron with sleepy eyes. "Hi," he greeted through a wide yawn. "How long did you and Crixus work out for?"  
  
Agron was relieved that Nasir seemed in better spirits, removing his shorts and immediately crawling into bed naked. It was just as warm as he remembered it being before Crixus had come over. "Two hours. You feeling better?" Agron asked, a kiss placed to each of Nasir's eyelids as he pressed close.  
  
Nasir mashed his face into Agron's chest, nodding slowly. "Yeah, sorry, _hayati_. I was just tired and wanted to get fucked and nap."  
  
The term of endearment would always get Agron to melt, even if he had been upset. "I could kick Crixus and Naevia out and we could fuck?" He tried to not sound hopeful, really, but there _was_ a little chance. Especially with the look Nasir was giving him.  
  
"I fucked myself in the shower."  
  
"What?" Agron nearly whimpered.  
  
Nasir kissed him soundly, hands on Agron's jaw. Agron's hand went to his hair, pushing it back away from his face as they kissed lazily. Even with the nap-mouth, Agron couldn't get enough. He wanted this closeness, wanted Nasir warm and content in his arms. It wasn't much to ask.  
  
"I thought of you," Nasir whispered into his mouth, definitely not helping with the heat that was burning in the pit of Agron's stomach. It didn't help their situation at all--people cooking in their kitchen when all Agron wanted to do was flip Nasir over and rob him of any ability to _think_.  
  
"Now that's true love right there," Agron murmured back, letting his hand slide down the length of Nasir's torso. Such soft skin and all Agron wanted to do was _taste_ like he hadn't been able to in a week. "What'd you use? Fingers?"  
  
Now that the lick of interest was there, it was hard to let go of. Agron helped Nasir's leg over his hips, smirking lazily as he came to sit on his stomach. Nasir's kisses were soft at first, dabbled over his throat and shoulders. "The handle of the back loofah," Nasir whispered into his ear, licking the shell of it afterward.  
  
Agron was fairly sure he heard his brain melt.  
  
His body wasn't even his own, flipping Nasir over to pin him to the bed with his body weight. Nasir's laugh was cut off by Agron's mouth, kissing him hard enough for teeth to clash. Legs spread to easily accommodate Agron's hips, lining them up just right to have Nasir sighing out and gripping onto Agron's shoulders. His hips worked in tight circles, grinding against Nasir in a rhythm that would get them off in no time. He was already hardening, the image of Nasir in the shower, fucking himself on the thick, white handle far too enticing to let go of.  
  
"We can't, we can't," Nasir panted out, head pushed back into the pillow. "Naevia and Crixus--"  
  
"We can be quick," Agron said, teeth catching Nasir's bottom lip. "I can use a condom, or you can fuck me, or I don't know. I just _need_ you."  
  
The flip of position was unexpected. Nasir was deceptively strong--something Agron knew and loved. Finding himself sprawled on his back, Nasir above him, did nothing to aid in his current arousal. There was conflict in that face, though, Agron's hands pushed away when they tried to bring their hips together. Fingers laced, Agron pinned to the bed, he let Nasir nuzzle into the crook of his neck and inhale deeply.  
  
"When you fuck and when you fight," Nasir murmured, tongue flicking out to lick a thick stripe up the side of his sweaty neck, "that's when I love tasting you the most. There's just something so--"  
  
"Agron! Are you doing bland chicken, too?"  
  
The groan of frustration was easily hushed by Nasir's mouth, anticipated and controlled. "Yes, he is," the man called out, smiling down to Agron and brushing his fingertips along his temples.  
  
"Oh, Nasir! You're awake. You want lemon pepper chicken?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Nasir answered, leaning his head down to tuck it under Agron's chin.  
  
"I hate them. I hate them so much," Agron whispered, arms coming tight around Nasir to roll them onto their sides. Like that, Agron could nuzzle their noses together, risking a soft kiss to Nasir's lips before pulling away completely to lay on his back.  
  
The hand along his stomach didn't help matters, but it stayed in tame territory. "After dinner," Nasir murmured into the curve of his shoulder, soft like a promise. "I will ride you until you pass out."  
  
"Rice or pasta?" Naevia yelled from the kitchen.  
  
Again they rolled apart, resting on their backs and looking up to the ceiling. "Deal," Agron said after a long moment, lifting his fist. Nasir smacked his own against it, the two of them rolling out of bed at the same time in order to find clothes.  
  
  


***

  
  
"Yeah, fuck you, too," Agron said with a roll of his eyes, shoving Crixus by the shoulder out of the doorway. He was flipped off in return, thought Crixus was smiling, his other hand taken by Naevia in order to lead them into their own apartment.  
  
Dinner had been a normal affair, something that they did whenever they could. When Crixus was busy, Agron tended to be busy for the same reasons, but Naevia and Nasir had schedules dependent on their classes. So when they could do dinner, they did. It was just practical, since Agron and Crixus tended to eat the same things and Naevia and Nasir were actually friends.  
  
They usually watched a movie after, tonight being no exception. Despite the fact that Agron had been practically squirming the entire time, he managed to pay attention to two hours of some horrendous foreign film and Naevia had picked. With Nasir as a warm weight against his side, the old _let's share a blanket_ trick allowed for minimal, guiltless touches. Nasir's fingertips against his stomach, his breath fanning over his neck, had kept Agron on edge all night. But he had been good. Granted, he had taken out most of his aggression on Crixus, but he had been _good_ , and he wanted his _reward_.  
  
Except when he turned around from locking the door, Nasir was already sprawled out on the couch. Agron knew he wasn't deeply asleep yet--no snoring, once again--but he would be there soon. It was a battle of conscious. Nasir was clearly exhausted, having not slept more than four consecutive hours a night for the past week with studying. He had a month off of school, and sex could wait. It _would_ wait, because if nothing else, Agron was a good boyfriend.  
  
It was with heavy balls that he shut the television off, moving over to the couch in order to scoop Nasir into his arms. The man's small stature was a blessing in almost every way, save for when they were kissing while standing because that tended to end with cricks in the neck. Agron was careful as he carried him, avoiding smacking his head into any walls (again) until he could deposit him onto the left side of their bed.  
  
As soon as Agron crawled in, Nasir was pressing against him. It was a familiar warmth, the man dragging Agron's arm over him to rest their hands along his stomach. "You can fuck me, if you want," Nasir mumbled sleepily, head lolling back to rest against Agron's shoulder.  
  
It was a tempting offer. He did love Nasir when he was sleepy--warm and pliant to Agron, more complacent to being taken care of. That was usually in the mornings, though, just woken up without plans of falling back to sleep. "No," he whispered, using his nose to push some hair away from Nasir's neck for a soft kiss. "Sex can come later, sleep now."  
  
There was practically a purr from Nasir, settling back against Agron's warmth. " _Ana bahebak, hayati_ ," he murmured, lacing their fingers together and bringing them up under his chin.  
  
Agron's smile was warm against Nasir's skin, feeling the kisses fan over his knuckles and tugging him that much closer. " _Ich liebe dich, schatz_."


	3. zaubermaus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where sex finally happens, Duro needs a babysitter, Agron is tired, and Jasmin is naked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of Duro feels, okay? But little known fact, I also have a lot of Diona feels. And they would be beautiful together. Thank you so much to Kat for the German translations! And this one is dedicated to Leesh~ happy birthday, girl!
> 
> Warnings for graphic sex, rimming, and dirty talk.

The sharp trill of Agron's phone had him jerking awake with a snort, freeing one of his hands to reach over and check it on autopilot. He caught a glimpse of the clock--only seven thirty--but there were only six people in the world who called him so early and _actually_ believed he would answer.  
  
His family.  
  
"Too early," Agron mumbled, voice sleep rough.  
  
" _Bruder_ ," Duro said, sounding a little breathless. " _Bruder_ , would it be at all possible for you to take Jasmin for the day and night?"  
  
Nasir let out a sleepy little noise, curling a little closer to Agron's chest and wiping his mind clean of any logical thought for a second. "I--wha--why?" he finally managed, sleep muddled brain a little overloaded for so early in the morning.  
  
"It's our anniversary," Duro explained, softening his voice to an almost-whisper. "I had another sitter lined up--one of our friends--but the roads are too bad to leave the city. _Es tut mir echt Leid, aber bitte._ "  
  
" _Ja, Ja, wir können sie nehmen_ " Agron agreed, slipping into the German seamlessly. Nasir lifted his head at that, a lazy sort of interest in his eyes, prompting Agron to kiss him softly and restate in English, "We can take her." Nasir definitely looked interested at that point, sitting up with a slow yawn and a stretched before settling back against Agron's chest. Agron's free hand went to his hair, stroking it away from his face with gentle fingertips. "I have to do a workout today, though," Agron added. "So Nasir is going to have to watch her while I'm at the gym."  
  
" _Das hört sich gut an,_ " Duro continued, German in full swing and voice lowered until he was definitely whispering. " _Diona ist hier. Ich bring sie dann am Abend vorbei._ "  
  
"Noon?" Agron echoed, looking over to the clock once more, just to make sure he hadn't been hallucinating. "If you're not coming over until then, why did you call so early?"  
  
"Sorry! _Ich muss jetzt auflegen. Tschau und ich liebe dich dafür!_ "  
  
The called ended abruptly, leaving Agron a little more than confused. Regardless, the phone was replaced on the nightstand and Nasir was pulled close, rolling onto his side to bury his face in the man's hair. "We have Jasmin for the day, and she's sleeping over," Agron murmured, fingertips massaging the base of Nasir's skull gently. "It's Duro and Diona's anniversary and I guess their plan A cancelled."  
  
"How good to know that we're plan B," Nasir murmured into Agron's collarbone, dabbling the sleep-warm skin with kisses.  
  
Agron snorted quietly. "Actually, I don't even think we're plan B. I guess it's too bad out to leave the city."  
  
That had Nasir sitting up, propping himself up on a hand while the other went to his sleep mussed hair to push it off his forehead. Agron's smile was as fond as the hand he traced over the man's spine, skin warm and dark against it. There was a quiet noise of disappointment from Agron when Nasir slipped out of the bed, arms crossing over his chest immediately to ward off the cold.  
  
"How much could it have--" Nasir began, walking to the balcony doors to part the white curtains and peer outside. "--oh holy shit, snowpocalypse is in full swing."  
  
Agron was curious enough to leave the bed, dragging the comforter over his shoulders to join Nasir at the window. He enveloped Nasir in the comforter, bringing his back against his chest as they both peered outside. "That there is a lot of snow," Agron commented, eyes squinting at the pure white outside. At least two feet, barely disturbed except for the few people mulling about in a fruitless attempt to get their car cleaned off. "Maybe Oenomaus will give us a break and have us do more circuits at home."  
  
Nasir hummed quietly. "And maybe this is all marshmallow fluff, not snow."  
  
"A good point you make."  
  
Agron buried his face in Nasir's neck with a few small growls, nuzzling aggressively until Nasir was laughing and try to push his face away. "You need to shave, sir," Nasir commented, catching Agron's chin to kiss him warmly. It was a lazy sort of kiss, just lips at first until Nasir turned around to face Agron and deepen it. Dark arms wound around Agron's neck, soon joined by legs around his waist as Nasir hoisted himself up to level the playing field.  
  
"Jasmin is coming over at noon?" Nasir mumbled into Agron's mouth, teeth catching his bottom lip.  
  
Agron's nod was far more excited than necessary. "A whole four and a half hours to ourselves."  
  
"Just _barely_ enough time."  
  
Agron was shameless with how he tossed Nasir into the bed, the man letting out a short laugh of surprise and bouncing a few times on contact. Agron was there a second later, touching every place he could, kissing at where ever his lips fell. The comforter was long forgotten, the room a little chilly but they would be quick to warm up if Agron had his way.  
  
"Asshole," Nasir breathed out, back arching when Agron's teeth skimmed over his nipple. "Asshole, asshole," he continued to breathe out, hauling Agron up to kiss and punctuating each press of lips with the word. "Such a gentleman, though. Not taking advantage of me in my exhausted state."  
  
Agron kissed him deeper, hard enough to push his head back into the mattress. "That makes me a gentleman?" he mused, hands falling to Nasir's thighs and spreading them to rest between them. "I thought that just made me a decent human being."  
  
"Chivalry is dead, _habibi_ ," Nasir purred, gasping out into Agron's mouth at the first roll of their hips together. "Mm, _fick mich. Fick mich hart_."  
  
Agron's moan could only be described at guttural, shaking through his entire body. They were a multilingual couple, Nasir fluent in Arabic and English and Agron in German and English, with a fluent Spanish speaker probably between the two of them. But nothing was sexier than Nasir speaking his native tongue. Agron had learned some Arabic, but _Nasir_ speaking German was something that immediately short circuited his brain. His voice was softer around the words, a strange Arabic accent tacked on but to Agron it was perfect.  
  
"Oh God, did I kill your--mmph!"  
  
He couldn't even let Nasir finished the statement, mouth covering his in a hard kiss. Nasir returned it, just as desperate, hands sliding from Agron's biceps to his back, finally down to his ass to _squeeze_. Their hips rolled together in a fluid motion, anything for more friction, their erections trapped between their bodies. Agron couldn't even spare a hand to work between them, too busy stroking along Nasir's sides, over his chest, down to his thighs. One thing Agron knew about his lover, and appreciated completely, was the fact that Nasir was never one to stay on the bottom for too long. Agron wasn't stupid--he knew how their relationship looked to the outside world. Agron towered over Nasir, outweighed him and was definitely stronger. Therefore, he was automatically the dominant one.  
  
Except... no. No he wasn't.  
  
Nasir twisted his body, strong thighs around Agron's hips flipping them until Nasir could sit on top of him with a pleased smirk. _Nasir_ was usually the aggressor. _Nasir_ tended to call the shots. And that was perfectly fine with Agron. His strength was used to protect, not entrap. Besides, Nasir looked damn good on top of him--thighs splayed, lithe body rolling with every push back against Agron's cock. Naevia liked to call him a bossy bottom, something that amused Agron to no end for no other reason than it was _true_. So true.  
  
"You know, that offer still stands," Nasir hummed out, slowing the movement of his hips. His hands stroked over the broad plane of Agron's chest, pausing briefly to touch the scar over his heart before kissing it.  
  
It never failed to amaze Agron how quickly they could switch from lust to love. "And what offer is that?" he asked, leaning over to the nightstand to grab one of the hair ties there. He was gentle with Nasir's hair, gathering it in a sweeping motion off of his shoulders and neck to tie it back. Even if the morning wasn't going to start with sweaty, sloppy sex, it was always good to be prepared.  
  
"Riding you until you pass out."  
  
Sweaty, sloppy sex it was, then.  
  
One hand caught Nasir's jaw immediately, dragging him down for a wet kiss. He groped shamelessly at Nasir's ass, fingers slipping along the crease in order to teasingly brush over his asshole. It tightened at the touch, Nasir pulling away with a growl and Agron's bottom lip between his teeth. There were few times when Agron looked at Nasir and thought him any less than beautiful--but _this_. A flush to his cheeks, lips swollen from rough kisses, hair awkwardly tugged back into a ponytail that rested on the side of his head. No, Agron had never wanted anyone more.  
  
"Turn around," Agron prompted, removing his hands from Nasir reluctantly.  
  
Nasir's brows drew together in a silent question, answered by the raise of Agron's own brows. "Oh?" Nasir murmured, realization finally dawning with a smoldering smirk. "Oh."  
  
From there, Nasir was quick to move, rolling off of Agron only to straddle his chest seconds later. Agron's hands went to his cheeks immediately, spreading them wide with a low hum of pleasure. "Aw, _Schatz_ , you shaved for me," he commented through a grin, leaning forward to kiss one cheek as he smacked the other just to watch it bounce beneath his hand. With Nasir spread wide, it was easy to lean forward and lick a thick stripe over the freshly shaven skin of his asshole.  
  
"Oh fuck," Nasir breathed out, making Agron's stomach jump at the feel of it. So close to his aching cock, and yet he knew Nasir would tease. Gentle fingertips went through his pubic hair, massaging the base of his cock, hot breath spilled over sensitive skin. Nasir was well accustomed to Agron's body.  
  
Agron was slow to start, using his thumbs to keep Nasir open as his tongue flicked against his hole. Again and again, nose buried against Nasir skin, unable to get close enough to him then. He had missed this, Nasir writhing and moaning against his tongue, trying to push his hips back onto his face to no avail.  
  
The fingers around his cock made Agron groan out, lips vibrating against such sensitive skin. "Look," Nasir practically cooed, stroking Agron from base to tip, a bead of precum licked from the tip. "It missed me so much it's crying."  
  
Agron laughed out loud at that, head thrown back into the pillows. "Kiss it and make it feel better," he offered, nuzzling his face between Nasir's cheeks to hide his grin.  
  
"You're going to give me beard burn on my ass," Nasir warned, wiggling his hips a little to get comfortable as Agron's mouth went to work again. He started out with slow licks, the flat of his tongue pressed against Nasir's hole with every swipe. Over and over again, until Nasir was panting against his skin once more, the man's hands sliding from Agron's thighs to his stomach and everywhere in between. The first touch of lips to cock and Agron was gone, letting out an unsteady breath against Nasir's skin. One hand left Nasir's cheek, scrambling to the bedside table in order to get the drawer open.  
  
"A week without sex and it's like you're sixteen again," Nasir commented, looking over his shoulder with an arch to his brow.  
  
"You didn't even know me at sixteen." Agron rolled his eyes, slapping the opposite cheek now. Nasir hissed at the contact, though his hips did buck down to press his cock against Agron's chest. "Shouldn't you be happy that I missed you or something?"  
  
Conversation ended with Nasir taking Agron into his mouth, letting a few inches slip in before hollowing his cheeks in a sweet suction. Agron groaned, keeping his hips firmly planted on the bed to avoid any unnecessary choking or gagging. His attention was split between his cock and slicking up his fingers, squirting a little too much lube onto his fingers with a hapless shrug. They could get more, and too much lube was never a bad thing.  
  
He wasn't worried about pushing one finger inside of Nasir without pause--he could probably take that dry. The lube wasn't necessarily pleasant in taste, but Agron was intent on making Nasir numb with pleasure. It was a battle between the two of them, who could break first, who could make the other stop lest they cum. A fun game, really, because they both won at the end. But Agron knew Nasir's body too well, knew what he liked and what he _loved_ , so it wasn't necessarily a fair fight.  
  
Agron and Nasir's prostate were probably better friends than most, pushing against it just lightly enough to have Nasir whining out around his cock. He kept the pressure barely there, resting his fingertip against it as he licked around his finger. Nasir hips just wouldn't stop moving, pushing back against his face, thighs clenching. Usually Agron would admonish him for it, but it was a testament to a job well done, and he was just getting started.  
  
The second finger slid in just as easily as the first, Agron leaning back just for the pleasure of watching Nasir's back bow beautifully. His tongue was back, though, sliding around his fingers as he started a steady rhythm of gentle movements. A fingertip on either side of Nasir's prostate had him writhing, gasping out around his cock and unable to concentrate on the task. Not that Agron minded. His focus was on Nasir, on the delicious little whimpers and the way his nails were clawing at his thighs for something to hold onto. Nasir's cock was practically dripping, a decent amount of precum slicking the center of Agron's chest when he bucked to grind against it.  
  
"You having fun?" Agron asked, pulling back to catch his own breath. The threat of Nasir's teeth was suddenly a very real one, pressed against the head of his cock. Agron had to fight instinct not to move away, but his body trusted Nasir implicitly.  
  
"I'd have more fun if you added another finger and actually got to work," Nasir replied far too smoothly for Agron's liking when he had two fingers up his ass.  
  
Agron wasted no time, putting fingers and tongue to good use. He scissored his fingers open inside of Nasir, licking between them with every chance given. Nasir abandoned his mouth on Agron's cock, instead pressing his face into the side of it and breathing in his scent. Reduced to gasping moans, this was one of Agron's favorite sides to Nasir.  
  
The mumbling was soft as first, the only reason he knew it was happening was because Nasir's lips were pressed against such sensitive skin. It wasn't English--that much Agron knew. He was familiar with the sounds of Arabic pouring from Nasir's mouth, absent and quick, punctuated with moans and soft calls of Agron's name as he finger fucked him hard.  
  
Agron pulled back with a lick of his lips, thrusting his fingers in as far as possible. "You ready for my cock?" he asked, voice dropped an octave, eyes lidded as he watched Nasir push further back onto his fingers. He was answered with movement, Nasir lifting up and away from him, wiping his mouth of spit and precum.  
  
As soon as Nasir was facing him again, he dragged him down for a slow kiss, parting only to murmur, " _Hallo schöner Mann_."  
  
Nasir's smile was breathless, that flush to his cheeks growing stronger under such tenderly spoken words. "Oh you," Nasir began, shaking his head slightly with a short laugh. "You charmer. You already have me in bed, and still you sweet talk."  
  
Agron shrugged, hands coming to cup Nasir's hips as the man positioned himself. The first breach still robbed both of them of breath, Agron dragging in a quick breath through his nose as he pushed his head back into the pillow. His fingers tightened on Nasir's dark skin, guiding him down, _down_ , until Agron had to arch his own hips up in order to be sheathed completely in that tight heat.  
  
" _Mein Gott_ ," Agron breathed out, one hand sliding from hip to wrap lube-slicked fingers around Nasir's cock. It was intercepted, though, Nasir lacing their fingers together with a lazy sort of smirk as he rolled his hips.  
  
"I want to cum from just your cock inside me," Nasir murmured, licking his lips with a short moan. "Think you've got the skills?"  
  
It was ridiculous just how much Agron loved this man. "Warm yourself up," he ordered, hands gripping Nasir's thighs to spread them wider. Nasir got the hint, his own hand going to his balls to hold them up and allow Agron to see everything. "And then I'm going to fuck you so hard we're going to need a new bed frame."  
  
"Got it."  
  
The previously measured pace picked up considerably, Nasir working and moving his hips until finding what felt the best. It was one of Agron's favorite parts of having Nasir ride him--those little moments where Agron was simply there for his pleasure, twisting and turning to find the right angle. And as soon as it was discovered, Nasir was unrelenting. Feet planted on the bed put him at a crouch above Agron, eyes closed and lips parted in pleasure as he fucked himself on Agron's cock. Agron couldn't think of a better sight.  
  
"You going to talk to me?" Nasir asked, eyes opening just enough to look at Agron over the curves of his cheeks.  
  
Agron bite down on his lip at the thought. "Do you want me to?" Nasir's nod was quick, his own bottom lip caught between his teeth. "English?" Agron prompted further, sliding his thumb at the sensitive junction of inner thigh and groin.  
  
"Yeah," Nasir breathed out, pausing when he was completely seated on Agron's cock. "How do you want me?"  
  
Agron's pause for consideration lasted only seconds. "Hands and knees, grip the headboard," he ordered, managing to squash a moan as Nasir pulled off to do as asked. Agron rolled out of the way, sitting at the edge just to _watch_ Nasir. All lithe muscle and beautiful skin, gripping the headboard and bowing his back to present his ass to him. Agron couldn't help but bury his face between his cheeks again, thumbs pushed into his hole to spread him wide for his tongue.  
  
"Stop, stop," Nasir gasped, even as he pushed back against Agron's face. "Just get inside me."  
  
Agron's kisses trailed up the small of his back, moving along his spine until he could mold himself to Nasir's back. "Oh, you want me in you?" he asked, lips against Nasir's ear as one of his hands covered his on the bed frame. "You want my cock in this nice, stretched hole?" Softly cooed words, one hand on the base of Agron's cock to tease Nasir's slick hole with the head. Pushed in just the tip only to be removed, leaving Nasir grunting in frustration.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Nasir murmured, turning his face enough to kiss Agron's jaw sweetly. "Just put it in."  
  
"How romantic," Agron purred, pressing his face into Nasir's neck to _breathe_ as he pushed inside again.  
  
There was no pausing, the hard rhythm set at a harsh pace. Every thrust was met by Nasir, Agron plunging forward to send the headboard against the wall with a steady beat. One hand went to Nasir's stomach to help with pulling him back onto his cock, the other on the headboard to tug himself forward with every thrust.  
  
"Feel that?" Agron murmured breathlessly with his lips pressed against Nasir's ear. "Feel my cock fucking you like we were meant for each other? You were _meant_ for my cock. This ass is _mine_."  
  
Nasir returned with a soft hiss, teeth bared when Agron sunk his own into the sensitive expanse of his neck. They were animals, satisfying a baser need to claim and mark at their mate. Nasir's nails would leave scratches along his hip from where he clawed at him, drawing him deeper, faster.  
  
"You gonna cum just from this?" Agron continued, hurried in his pace. "Just from this thick cock fucking you?" A shift of his hips had Nasir crying out, scrambling for purchase with both hands on the headboard. Again and again, now that Agron knew the angle. "Right there? That feel good?"  
  
Nasir nodded hastily, opening his mouth to respond but finding Agron's lips there, instead. Their kiss was messy, tongue clashing and lips bitten, no semblance of any control left between the two of them. It had been too long for them both, with all the teasing and playful banter only furthering a quick release.  
  
True to Nasir's wishes, Agron kept his hand away from his cock. He did briefly touch the bed below, finding their sheets wet with precum before replacing his hand on Nasir's stomach. "That's it," Agron growled, voice low against Nasir's lips. "Cum for me. Just with my cock and my voice. I wanna to see you let go, wanna feel you tighten around my cock."  
  
A few well aimed thrusts and Agron didn't have to wait long. He could practically _feel_ it through Nasir, the way his body trembled and tightened with anticipation of the end. A taut string snapped with pressure, Nasir hiding a sobbing moan into his bicep. "No, no," Agron said quickly, a hand in Nasir's hair tugging his head back to bare throat. "Let me hear you. Let me hear how much you love my cock."  
  
"Oh, _fuck_ , Agron," Nasir all but shouted, nails scraping against the back of Agron's hand that remained firm on his stomach. The feeling of Nasir tight around him, milking him for all he was worth--Agron was only human. Someone who had missed his lover, this closeness, and followed him without a second thought.  
  
"Feel that?" Agron growled, a deep sound from in his chest even as he came. Hips working hard, showing no mercy as he knew Nasir wanted it. "Feel my cum filling you up? You're _mine_ ," he continued to ramble, lost to the beautiful body beneath him until they both gave out in a sweaty pile of limbs and rapidly rising chests.  
  
Their size difference was always a concern-- Agron was half a foot taller than Nasir and weighed a hell of a lot more. Yet when he made an effort to move, Nasir stopped him with his hand on his forearm. "Don't pull out," Nasir panted, looking up at Agron through the hair plastered against his sweaty face.  
  
Agron's laugh was something warm, using his hand to smooth away the hair and kiss Nasir properly. "Okay, okay. Roll on three. One. Two. Three--"  
  
Together the rolled onto their sides, Agron pressed tight against Nasir's back to keep his softening cock inside of his body. It was easier like that, too, pressing close to one another, sweaty legs tangling as they continued to fight for even breath. A losing battle, since Nasir twisted his head enough to kiss Agron deeply again.  
  
" _Habibi,_ " Nasir purred out, laughing breathlessly. "You outdid yourself."  
  
Agron could only muster a hum in response, his fingers dancing along Nasir's stomach to feel the muscle twitch beneath his touch. "How are you talking right now? Clearly I didn't do _that_ good of a job."  
  
Another laugh shared between the two of them, something light and pleased sounding. Nasir rolled a little, enough to press his back further against Agron's chest and look at him. There was something tender in the way Nasir pushed their noses together, getting closer to press a chaste kiss to Agron's lips. And Agron could only smile in response, pushing away the hair that had fallen from the ponytail with his clean hand.  
  
"Give me five minutes and I'll give you the chance to try again," Nasir murmured, pulling back with a faint smirk.  
  
Agron nodded his head, nuzzling their noses together in the act. "Deal."  
  


***

The sex had worn them both out, further relaxed by a nice shower that only ended in a replay of what had happened with Nasir and the back loofah the night before. At noon, they finally put clothes on and went out into the kitchen and living room. Agron plopped himself on the couch, sprawled out and dozing lightly between watching Nasir. It wasn't as though Nasir was doing something out of the ordinary--no. The man simply sat on one of the stools at the island, a knee drawn up to his chest to rest his chin upon it, eating heated up left overs from last night while reading the paper. Still, Agron couldn't seem to take his eyes off of him, dressed in one of Agron's white t-shirts that hung loose over his frame, hair tied back and glasses on. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet it stirred something warm in Agron's chest.

It was a little past noon when the knocking began, Duro true to his word. Agron opened an eye to look at Nasir, finding the man already staring at him from over his glasses. "I'm guessing you want me to get that?" Nasir asked, putting his fork down and folding the paper to keep his place. He pushed the glasses onto the top of his head, rubbing his eyes as he stood. "Lazy ass."

"I almost just fucked you into a coma, cut me some slack," Agron said through a yawn, scratching at his bare chest carelessly. He was surprised that he had the energy to tug on some sweatpants and make it to the living room. "Besides, I still have to do a workout later."

Nasir was anything but sympathetic to his light whining--something that wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary. Agron took deep pleasure in the way he was limping just slightly, moving in a slow, measured manner. As soon as the door was open, Jasmin was running into the apartment, the little girl locating Agron and pouncing on him with a giggle. He let out a brief grunt, arms coming around his niece before growling and rocking her.

" _Zaubermaus_ ," Agron greeted, waiting for Jasmin to lift her head before kissing her forehead. "Sorry I missed our date yesterday."

The pout was adorable, something Agron recognized from Duro when they were younger. "Tell that to the duckies."

"Poor things," Duro commented as he finally came through the door, setting down a small duffel bag. Agron was surprised at how clean he looked--hair cut, freshly shaved, actually wearing clothes that weren't stained with paint. He greeted Nasir with a kiss to each cheek and a hug to lift him off the floor, per usual. "Little man! You look tired. You sleeping okay?"

"This week was ridiculously busy," Nasir answered, shooting Agron a small look as he chuckled into Jasmin's hair. "But it's good to see you, too. How's Diona?"

Duro was dramatic in his groan, making his way to the couch to lift Agron's legs in favor of sitting and placing them on his lap. As long as Agron didn't have to move _himself_ , then everything was good. "She's great! I think," he answered with a laugh. "Women, though. Never really know! But tonight should go well."

Nasir shut the door, taking his time to walk over to the couch and gingerly sit on the arm above Agron's head. "Oh? Big plans?"

Duro looked at his brother with meaning, prompting Agron to cover Jasmin's ears. "I don't plan on leaving the house, to be honest," he answered, raising his eyebrows to the two of them pointedly.

Agron and Nasir let out twin _oh_ s of understanding, Agron leaning up to give his brother a high five. They were old enough to be able to appreciate when the other was about to have ridiculous amounts of sex and not feel weird. The motion set Jasmin free, however, the little girl sitting up on her uncle's chest with a small huff.

"What d'ya say?" she asked, brown eyes on her father.

Duro was quick to reach out, tugging her forward for a kiss to the forehead. He honked her nose affectionately, getting a giggle from Jasmin as she returned the favor. "I told them that if you're good, you can open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve," he explained, moving his arms to let Jasmin crawl into his lap for a warm hug.

"Speaking of," Agron began, sitting up as slowly as humanly possible. His hips were killing him from all that action. He did lean back against Nasir, though, a dark arm slinging over his chest. "Are we doing Christmas at your place?"

Duro shrugged. "I'll talk to the missus. Nadja, Janina, and Liesel can't stay with us, though," he added quickly. Agron didn't blame him, though. The last time his sisters had been in town, all _three_ of them, they had broken more than enough furniture and dishware at Duro's house. "Speaking of--I need to get going. You going to be a good girl for _onkel_?"

The face Jasmin pulled was nothing short of adorable and offended. "I always am!" she defended, looking to Agron for confirmation. Agron nodded solemnly, using a finger to cross over his heart.

"Good," Duro said, ruffling his daughter's dark hair lightly and releasing her. He stood with a stretch, bending down to kiss Agron on both cheeks and whisper quietly, " _Kein Sex während sie hier ist_ , okay?"

Agron clapped a hand on the side of his neck, bumping their foreheads together with a grin. " _Ja, ne, ist klar._ "

Duro's attentions turned towards Nasir again, another hug and more kisses. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, yeah? You know how he is." The jerk of Duro's thumb was directed at Agron, rolling his eyes a little.

"Gotcha--keep a close eye on him," Nasir confirmed with a short nod and salute.

"Thank you. I have everything in the duffel bag--coloring books, crayons, favorite movies, two pull-ups just in case. I think I even packed some Uncrustables in there, because I am a father hen," Duro directed, grabbing the bag and placing it on the couch where he had just left. He checked through again, nodding his head along with every item discovered before scooping up Jasmin.

" _Ich hab dich lieb, meine Zaubermaus_ ," he murmured, another kiss to her forehead before he was setting her down.

" _Ich hab dich auch lieb, Papa,_ " she responded, reaching up to playfully tug on his nose ring with a honking noise before settling against Agron's side once more. All three of them waved to Duro, Duro responding in kind as he backed through the door to keep his eyes on Jasmin for as long as possible before the door was shut.

Nasir was quick to move, standing up and motioning to the bag. "Why don't you pick out something to do while _onkle_ and I make some lunch?" he offered, smiling when the girl nodded her head and began to dig through the duffel. It never ceased to amaze Agron how easy to please Jasmin was. Play some games, let her ride on your back, color, watch a movie--pretty much things he did every day with Nasir, only small sized with an adorable giggle.

Agron followed Nasir closely as the man walked into the kitchen, still warmed by the morning of sex and good feeling. Nasir was complacent, too, allowing a hand on his hip and a kiss to the nape of his neck while he checked the contents of the fridge.

"What did he say to you and why do I feel like I'm not going to like it?" Nasir whispered, sending a nervous glance to the living room where Jasmin was occupied.

Agron's hand slipped up under Nasir's-- _his_ \--shirt, resting right above the waistband of the basketball shorts. He kissed his neck softly, once, twice, before hooking his chin over Nasir's shoulder. "He told me not to have sex with you while she's here," he finally murmured, close to Nasir's ear.

Nasir's fingers tightened on the fridge door. "I swear, is your family a herd of elephants? Are they going to remember forever? They walk in on us _once_ while having sex and suddenly they think we're deviants or something."

".... well, they did walk in on us during my sister's graduation party," Agron defended, not sounding the least bit concerned. And he wasn't--it was something the he remembered quite fondly. Nasir, pressed against the sink in his parents' bathroom, before they moved back to Germany. Back when they had just started dating and everything was so new and fresh, Nasir's skin still a mystery to him and he couldn't get enough of it. They had calmed down considerably.

"We were _drunk_ and _you_ were handsy."

"You wanted it," Agron purred, reaching into the fridge to finally grab a water. "Badly."

There was something about making Nasir blush that never failed to amuse him. He grabbed some turkey and cheese, too, reaching further down into the fridge for lettuce and tomato to make a sandwiches for lunch. Training would start at three, and unless copious amounts of semen counted (which... it probably didn't), he hadn't eaten all day.

"Wanna color?" Jasmin asked from the living room, holding up a book and some crayons to wave them around. "And can I have my sammiches?"

"Yep. You sure can," Nasir answered, probably a little too quickly before shutting the fridge. Agron didn't bother holding back a chuckle, grabbing some bread from the box in order to start in on his own sandwiches. He watched from over his shoulder as Jasmin walked from the living room, carefully stepping up into the kitchen with her coloring book, crayons, and sandwiches all balanced.

Jasmin deposited her things on the table, Agron easily lifting her to sit on the stool beside Nasir before he grabbed a knife for his tomatoes. It was something simple, watching Nasir absently take a crayon that Jasmin offered in order to start in on the crossword puzzle. The two of them content with each other, comfortable enough without conversation. Agron had never had a problem with kids before Jasmin, per se. He just preferred to not have to deal with it. Nasir was much the same, if not a little more awkward. But Jasmin was definitely an exception, whether it be because she was just a low maintenance child in general, or because she was family.

By the time Agron finished making his sandwiches, Nasir was helping Jasmin color in a picture of a dinosaur. There were chuckles between the two of them like old friends, Nasir with an arm around her in order to color the further side of the paper. Jasmin had no problem pressing close, leaning against Nasir's chest like he was family. And he was, really. At that point, anyway. Jasmin was only four when Nasir came into her life, both of their lives.

"Can I have a picture to color?" Agron asked, taking a seat across from them. One sandwich was demolished with impressive speed, accepting the picture of a horse. "I'm going to make it blue," Agron decided, snatching a sky blue crayon and raising his eyebrows to Jasmin.

Jasmin returned the look. "Horses aren't blue, silly. Even _I_ know that."

Nasir sighed out happily, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. "I forgot how much I love you," he commented, getting a brilliant grin from Jasmin in response.

Agron was so fucked for this man.

***

They were all piled on the couch when Crixus walked in about two and a half hours later-- Agron on the bottom, Nasir on top of him, and Jasmin resting on Nasir's back. There was a movie on, something that Jasmin was paying very close attention to while Nasir and Agron were going in and out of sleep. Dedicated babysitters, the rarest of them all.

"Well isn't this adorable," Crixus cooed, shutting the door behind himself. Agron jerked awake with a snort for the second time that day, getting Jasmin to giggle.

" _Esel!_ ," the little girl called, climbing off of Nasir in order to run and throw herself at Crixus.

Crixus caught the little girl with ease, bringing her up onto his hip. "Hey you," he greeted, just as comfortable with Jasmin as Agron and Nasir were. "What are you doing here?"

" _Papa_ and _mami_ are having a play date, so I came here!" Jasmin answered, giggling as Crixus bounced her while he walked to the kitchen. "You wanna watch a movie with us?"

Crixus spared the couch a look, finding Nasir still curled against a barely-awake Agron's chest. "I'll pass," he said, using a hand to rifle through the cabinets. "Your _onkel_ and I have to go out soon. Hey, _onkel_ , you got a Cliff bar in here?"

Agron sighed out, rubbing his eyes through a yawn. "Yes, yes. Please, feel free to help yourself to my wares, dearest friend." It was difficult to slip out from under Nasir--partially because the man was a clinger while he slept, partially because Agron didn't _want_ to. But Oenomaus would have his nuts if he missed a workout day, and Crixus was already there and annoying.

"Mind if we take your SUV?" Crixus asked through a mouthful of food. He smirked as Jasmin tried to snag a bite of the ar, holding it away from her as she gnashed her teeth playfully. "I haven't put on my snow tires yet."

"Yeah, that's fine. Let me put a shirt on and we can get going." Agron paused as he managed to roll out from the couch to crouch beside it, watching Nasir for a quiet moment. He glasses were at the top of his head, long hair spilling out of the ponytail to frame his face. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so sentimental today. " _Aufwachen Hübscher_ ," he tried gently, brushing the hair away from Nasir's forehead before kissing it.

He was rewarded with a sniffle and a swat, Nasir's hand resting on his face to push it away. "M'up, M'up," he mumbled, sitting up with a loud yawn and a stretch.

"Sleeping beauty awakens," Crixus said, sitting down on the couch with Jasmin in his lap. "What's got you so tuckered?"

Nasir's glare was sleepy. "Why is everyone so concerned about my sleep schedule?"

"Are you honestly questioning him when he's being nice?" Agron asked, standing up with a slow stretch. There was a dry fit shirt tossed over the armchair, Agron having been prepared to do as little moving as humanly possible today. His gym bag already packed, rummaging through it just to make sure everything was there before tugging the underamour on and pulling a sweatshirt over it.

Jasmin was replaced in Nasir's lap, Nasir wrapping around the girl and dragging her down to lay with him. She giggled and kicked, gentle with how she was trying to play-escape. "I can't breathe!" Jasmin complained, pushing her head away from Nasir's chest to drag in a dramatic breath.

"How cute," Agron said, tossing his bag to Crixus for him to put his own things in it. Crixus left the apartment with a wiggle of his fingers towards Jasmin, leaving Agron to say goodbye. Agron dropped a kiss to Jasmin's forehead first, swooping down to press a chaste kiss to Nasir's lips. " _Bis später meine Süßen_."

"Bis später!" they intoned together, Agron leaving the apartment with a short laugh and a fond smile.

***

If Crixus was a great friend, he would have carried Agron up the stairs. If Crixus was a friend at all, he wouldn't have laughed when Agron slipped on ice outside of the apartment, too tired to catch himself and instead falling into the snow bank with a long sigh. Crixus did help him up, though, offering a hand to haul him out and a shove to send him towards the front door.

Inside was significantly warmer, and all Agron could think about was dinner and a hot shower after two hours and a half hours of training. Crixus was clearly of the same mind, dragging his feet at they started up the stairs. "I put you down I give no shit," he started to sing quietly, Agron letting out a short laugh from behind him.

"I piss on your grave for the sport of it," Agron continued, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"And when I die I expect no less," they sang together, using the hand railings to haul themselves up the stairs almost playfully. Two at a time, then three, challenging each other because clearly their friendship was at the maturity level of sixteen-year-olds. But when they reached the second floor there was a moment of brief victory, arms around each others' shoulders as they yelled out, "My cock rages on! My cock rages on!"

When Agron pushed open the door to his apartment, they were greeted by dry looks from Nasir and Naevia. Dinner was started from the smell of it, Jasmin sitting on the island and watching them with her hands tucked under her thighs while Nasir and Naevia moved with practice ease. The fridge was open, knives on the counter, dirty dishes in the sink--and Agron had left everything so _clean_.

"You kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?" Naevia asked, arching her brow and brandishing a spoon at Agron dangerously.

Agron tried his most charming smile, despite knowing full well his dimples were ineffective against Naevia. He tossed his bag to the ground, hanging up his coat and toeing off his shoes in a smooth motion. Crixus followed suit, both of them moving to the kitchen to greet respective partners.

"He likes it," Agron answered, sliding an arm around Nasir's waist and kissing his neck a few times at the man continued to stir what looked like to be a saute pan of mixed veggies. Nasir's elbow was far gentler than it could have been, making contact with Agron's tired abs in a threat.

" _Meine Zaubermaus,_ " Agron cooed, deciding his niece an easier target for much needed affection. And indeed, she was--arms reaching out for Agron, little legs kicking happily as he scooped her up and bounced her a bit. "Did you have fun with Nasir and Naevia?"

Jasmin's nod was eager, a small hand against Agron's scruffy cheek as she kissed her uncle's nose. "Yes! We went to go see the fishies!"

"The fishies?" Agron asked, eyes wide in surprise.

Another quick nod. "The fishies. Big ones!"

"How big?" Crixus asked, taking a seat at the island with a banana.

Jasmin's attention turned quickly, torso twisting and trusting Agron to keep her from falling. And he did, adjusting his arms a little to let her look at Crixus and free her hands. She held them out as much as she could. "This big!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms to their fullest extent.

It was Crixus' turn to widen his eyes in surprise. "That's a big fish!"

"And now we're eating fish!" Naevia finished, bumping her hip into Nasir's to get to the oven. Mitts in place, she pulled a baking sheet out, and then another, all containing the aforementioned fish. Agron was immediately curious, stomach rumbling audibly, dancing his way inconspicuously closer with Jasmin in order to sneak a bite.

Nasir was quick, though, slapping at Agron's hand as soon as he saw his fingers out.

"No sneaking bites!" Jasmin admonish, realizing what Agron had been trying to do, little fingers squishing his lips together to make them purse. Jasmin used the hand on Agron's mouth to make his head nod agreeably.

"It's finished, anyway," Naevia said, removing the mitts from her hands and swiping the back of her hand against a sweaty brow. "Crixus, how about you set the table?"

There was nothing more that Agron enjoyed than Crixus doing whatever Naevia said. That much was obvious by the way he leaned against the counter, still bouncing and blowing raspberries at Jasmin while he watched the man set the table. They had a comfortable routine--Naevia and Nasir handled dinner, Crixus had the table, Agron did dishes. But still, there was just something about watching Crixus being mundane that amused him to no end.

Crixus looked up after a moment, folding a napkin and tucking it under one of the plates. "What the fuck are you looking at?" he snapped, sour as ever.

Agron didn't even need to respond. Not with how hard Naevia smacked him over the head for swearing in front of Jasmin.

***

For a while, Agron wasn't really quite sure what the whole policy was with adult males and naked children--even if said naked child was his niece. He had younger sisters, sure, but he was young when they all went through their own naked phase. There once was a time where he would awkwardly stand in the doorway at Duro's, shifting from side to side while his brother sat at the edge of the tub and helped Jasmin bathe. He had experienced enough bath times at Duro and Diona's house to grow comfortable by now though, and eventually Nasir followed with how many times she spent the night with them.

That was why it was relatively easy to ignore Jasmin running from room to room yelling, "Nakey!" at the top of her lungs.

And every time her heard it, Agron laughed through a mouth full of toothpaste.

"She definitely takes after your family," Nasir commented, sitting on the lid of the toilet as he dried his hair. Agron spared him a glance in the mirror--sitting cross legged in basketball shorts and another one of Agron's shirts. Jasmin ran into the room for a moment, chest heaving with the exertion of running, watching them with wide eyes. Nasir brandished a towel at her, open as if to wrap her up in it. She screamed and sprinted away, giggling like mad through the yelling.

Agron's shrug was a fond one, spitting into the sink and rinsing out his mouth. "I still like to do that sometimes, when you're not around."

"Better than you twirling your dick at me," Nasir pointed out, tossing the wet towel over the shower rod to dry before grabbing another for Jasmin.

Agron snorted. "You love the penis-copter," he said, a hand reaching out to grab onto Nasir's damp hair and tug him back against him. Shower fresh, Agron buried his face in his neck to breathe the scent of him, teeth skimming over the sensitive skin. "Did you remember to change the sheets?" he murmured, one hand splaying under the shirt and against Nasir's bare stomach to guide their hips together.

"Yes," Nasir murmured right back, head tilting to give Agron a little more room. He loved the way the other man leaned back into him, a small display of trust to let Agron carry his weight. "I need to go get the naked six-year-old running around the apartment. And then maybe kill Crixus for letting her have cookies."

"He's just the worst kind of person," Agron said through a laugh, releasing Nasir to let him do as intended.

There was a scuffle to be heard, a little whining and a lot of running. Agron managed to turn his head just in time to watch Jasmin run past the bathroom door, closely followed by Nasir. When the laughter started up, Agron could only assume that the little girl had been caught. Giggling, a low groan from Nasir, muffled words from Jasmin all signaled that Nasir was getting her dressed. Spitting the mouthwash into the sink, Agron flicked the nightlight on in the bathroom before making the short trip to the bedroom.

The bed was big enough for three, especially since Nasir and Jasmin were relatively small compared to Agron. They were already in bed, the TV on low with another movie in, barely taking up half of it between the two of them. Nasir had the bedside lamp on, a book propped up on his thighs and glasses on his nose. Jasmin was curled up into a tiny ball, apparently having crashed from the sugar rush.

Sure, Agron could probably sleep on the couch, or drag out the air mattress, but it was so much better to crawl into bed and kiss Nasir with a minty mouth and wrap his arms around Jasmin to bury his face in her damp hair. Nasir threaded his fingers through Agron's hair as he curled himself around the little girl, their eyes meeting that spoke of a deeper affection without words.

" _Gute Nacht, meine zaubermaus_ ," Agron murmured through a yawn, smiling as Jasmin's small hands settled as his chest and she cuddled closer.

" _Gute Nacht, onkel,_ " she murmured back, sleepy and quiet, doing funny things to Agron's chest.


	4. horses?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Christmas plans are made, Matlock is sexy, laundry gets done, and Nasir shaves Agron's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New part! We're almost at the actual plot of the story (gasp!) so stay tuned for that!

Being woken by the whorl of a camera was becoming an increasingly frequent thing for Agron.

When he had first met Nasir, the man (practically a boy back then) was all theorems and scientific notation. And Agron understood, in a sense--Nasir's parents paid for college, and for that, they felt they had a say in what their son would be going to school for. Neuroscience was messy and complicated, with too much physics and chemistry for Agron's taste. Sure, he knew the premise and could read Nasir's books and notes, but it was complicated and impressive. But Nasir truly did enjoy it, that much he knew, he just... needed a break sometimes.

It was Naevia who suggested adding a photography minor. Just a few more classes, plus something interesting on a resume. Nasir had been debating taking a certification in Middle Eastern studies, but ultimately chose to pick up a camera and learn something new. Exciting. A hobby that didn't involve neurotransmitters or Young Republicans of America. If that meant he had to lounge around in the sun naked because Nasir found his body interesting, so be it.

But morning was a sacred, sleeping time.

"I wish you were more neuroscience than photography in the morning," Agron rumbled, knowing better than to move against penalty of death. He didn't even open his eyes, chest expanding with a slow sigh as he tried to hold in a yawn. Jasmin rose with his breath, curled up on his chest with her face pressed into his neck and a small hand wrapped around the leather cords he wore around his neck.

Another whorl, the soft sound of Nasir breathing out. "Okay, you're good," he said, prompting Agron to open his eyes with a little smile. He found Nasir sitting in the armchair in the corner, hair in a messy ponytail and brows knitted as he looked at the camera. 

"Come out okay?" he asked, keeping his voice low even as Jasmin began to stir. Sleepy little noises, burying further into Agron's warmth that melted his chest.

Nasir seemed to notice the little affections, judging by the look in his eyes. "I think so, yeah."

Jasmin's hand reached out, falling messily to Agron's cheek. Skirting across his jaw, she placed her hand over his mouth as if to silence him. "Morning, meine Zaubermaus," Agron rumbled against it, one of his hands rubbing at the little girls back absently.

There was a sniffling noise, a little yawn against his throat, before a sleepy murmur of, "Morning, Onkel."

Agron rolled with a little growl, trapping Jasmin underneath him as he nestled his face into her hair warmly. She giggled and kicked, careful of all of Agron's sore muscles that complained with the movement. It was his off day--one of two during the week--and all Agron wanted to do was lay in bed and enjoy his time with Nasir.

In theory.

"You have work today?" Agron asked, watching Jasmin clamber off the bed and head towards the bathroom. He settled down on his stomach, grabbing a pillow to press his face into before resting his cheek against it. Attention flicked to Nasir, the man watching her go with fond eyes and his knuckle pressed to his lips. "Hey. You. Good lookin'."

Nasir snapped out of whatever was going on in that head of his, looking to Agron for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Hm?"

"Are you working today?" Agron asked again, all patience and warm smile. It was beyond endearing how much Nasir loved Jasmin, putting thoughts in his head of sometime having a child with dark skin and dark eyes that looked at him like he raised the sun like Nasir did sometimes.

Now was not one of those times, though, judging by how Nasir sat at the edge of the bed and reached out to slap Agron's ass playfully. "I am. Twelve to eight."

It was easy for Agron to drag him down by the back of his neck, kissing his lips and growling into his mouth, "Call Naevia to cover for you."

Nasir's laugh was an answer in itself. "She's working, too. It's the both of us. Just nap while I'm gone, okay? And do some laundry or something because we need clean sheets."

The bathroom door opened once more, revealing a sleep mused Jasmin in her nightgown. She crawled into Nasir's lap comfortably, greedy for warmth and affection as she tended to be in the morning. Agron reached a hand out, fore and middle finger entrapping her nose with a pleasant little honk while she giggled.

"Breakfast?" she asked, forehead pressed against Nasir's jaw as he rocked her

Agron roused at that. "Pancakes?"

Jasmin nodded eagerly in her agreement, immediately looking to Nasir. It was well known Agron didn't cook unless they wanted a fire or burnt food. Simple things weren't beyond his reach, but pancakes were the advance course. 

Nasir's sigh spoke of deeper defeat. "Yeah, okay. 

Agron wasn't sure who cheered louder, him or Jasmin.

***

 

"What happened to them?" Diona asked as soon as she was through the door, the shuffling sound behind her definitely Duro.

Agron didn't have enough energy to lift his head, sprawled out on the couch with Jasmin on top of him again.

"Too many pancakes," Nasir explained through a sigh.

Agron managed to open his eyes after the weight from his chest was lifted, seeing Diona with Jasmin in her arms and a dry look in her eyes. "Don't you judge me, woman," Agron warned, voice a low rumble as he rubbed his hand over his full stomach.

Diona's snort wasn't convinced. "Please, out of all the things I've seen you do, this isn't what I would choose to judge you on."

"Duro, she's being mean to me," Agron called out, lifting his head off the couch just enough to see Duro standing in the kitchen, two pancakes on a plate being furiously shoveled into his mouth.

Agron as slow to sit--back and core awkwardly sore from the workout, not to mention the sheer amount of food he'd managed to consume. It was miracle it itself that he could move enough to lean against the arm of the couch, legs stretched out until Nasir came to sit beside him.

"How was the anniversary?" Nasir asked, taking one of Agron's long legs into his lap. Slender, smart fingers worked at the thick muscles of his calves, turning Agron into a groaning mess in about five seconds flat. 

Diona was getting in on the pancakes now, standing beside Duro with her mouth open as she held Jasmin. "Good job, Nasir," she praised, licking her lips before continuing. "And it was good. Exhausting, but very good." A shared smile between the two of them, a brief kiss passed over Jasmin's head.

Duro's smile told Agron enough to give a small cheer, flexing his toes and sliding down so Nasir could work on his thigh. A hot shower would serve the same purpose in loosening him up, but Nasir was clever and knew Agron's body very well. 

"That's good," Nasir said, finding a knot and working it loose with both thumbs. Agron squirmed and hissed, fingers gripping the back of the couch against the pain. But Nasir was relentless, rolling his eyes and softly cooing, "You're such a baby."

"He is," Duro agreed, the plate empty and turning to rinse it off in the sink. "Liesel called me last night--she wants to do Christmas down south."

"There's no snow down there," Agron pointed out, yawning against his fist. "But she does have enough room. And it is halfway between all of us."

Diona nodded. "Exactly. And it means that your crazy sisters can't break more of our things."

"They do tend to break things," Duro agreed, putting the plate and fork in the dish washer obediently. "Jasmin was just a baby the last time we went down. She might get a kick out of the horses."

"Horses?" Nasir questioned, looking to Agron for confirmation.

"Horsies?!" Jasmin cried.

"Horses," Agron echoed. "Liesel's girlfriend has a ranch. And might I mention I look damn good in a cowboy hat?"

Duro nodded his head in agreement. "It's true--picture it. Cowboy hat, flannel, ripped jeans. Liesel and Emily always put us to work. He gets all tan, too." Duro paused, looking from Nasir to Diona, jumping a little at her narrowed eyes. "What?"

"Gay," she dragged out the word, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and tucking it into the duffel before tossing it to Duro.

Duro caught it dutifully. "It's not gay if it's my brother. It's helping."

"And I love you for it," Agron said with a firm nod of his head.

"You boys, I swear," Diona said, coming over in a brisk walk to kiss both Agron and Nasir warmly. Jasmin did the same, kissing the opposite cheek at the same time, managing to honk both their noses before her mother was moving away. "We gotta get going, though. Zaubermaus here needs a bath and then she gets to go to a play date!"

"Yay!" Jasmin cheered, hands in the air before wrapping her arms around Diona's neck in a warm hug. "Bye Onkel! Bye Nana!"

Agron watched as Nasir suppressed a wince at the nickname, hugging Duro back through it. "Bye you. Have fun!"

Agron caught Duro back the back of the neck, pulling him down for a kiss to each cheek. "Danke, Bruder," Duro whispered quietly, pressing their foreheads together with a grin.

"Ja, ja, Nichts zu danken," Agron murmured back, releasing his brother with a fond pat to the cheek.

They both watched them go, the same affectionate twist to their lips. They were family, through the good and bad. It just helped that more often than not, things were good. It hadn't always been that way, though. It wasn't difficult to remember the beginning, to think about how far they'd come. 

"I love them," Nasir said quietly after a long moment, looking over to Agron with one of those small smiles that spoke volumes.

"They love you, too," Agron soothed, sitting up as much as his sore abs would allow to tug Nasir over him. Further and further until he was covered by Nasir, able to thread a hand through his hair and slowly kiss his mouth. Chaste at first, but being alone, Agron couldn't really help himself for delving deeper. Still sweet from the syrup, Nasir was almost intoxicating.

"Ride me," Agron breathed into Nasir's mouth, his free hand going to the back of one of his thighs to pull his leg high, align them a little better.

Nasir's laugh was a little puff of air against his lips. "They're gone for five seconds and you already want to fuck?"

"Slow and tender love making," Agron said, just to watch Nasir shudder and glare at the term. Words that were not okay with Nasir: love making, moist, ointment. A combination of all three was just criminal. "There's a Law and Order SVU marathon that we could watch during."

There was an actual laugh, Nasir's hands against Agron's shoulders to push himself up a bit. "Now that's sexy. Why don't we see if Matlock is on while we're at it? It's like fucking one of my professors."

"Do I at least have a better body?" Agron asked, releasing Nasir when the other man stood, only because Nasir was pushing his basketball shorts down while going to lock the door. Twice.

He would be hurt at the pause of consideration if he didn't see the heat in Nasir's eyes, leaning back against the door in nothing but some boxer briefs as he watched him. "Yeah, sure," Nasir replied with a little smirk and a small shrug to match.

"Lube. Go," Agron growled, pointing a finger towards the bedroom. "We used up Couch Lube two weeks ago."

"No! Not Couch Lube!" Nasir cried, quick feet taking him across the living room to disappear in the hallway from sight. He was back only seconds later, blissfully naked and half hard in the morning chill of the apartment.

"Lift your hips up," Nasir ordered, one that Agron was more than happy to comply with. Fingers hooked in the waistband of his sweats and briefs, tugging them both down in a smooth motion and managing to get them down his legs with little issue. They were far too practiced by now.

Agron sat up slowly, catching Nasir's shoulder to drag him down for another kiss. Quicker presses of their lips, Agron taking the time to properly lick into his mouth and nip at his lips until they were swollen. Nasir's groans and sighs were enough to tell him he was doing a fine job, even without Nasir's cock pressed against his thigh warmly. Agron was still intoxicated by the feel of him, the taste of him, but seasoned enough to take his time with the body before him.

They ended up watching Man v. Food, Nasir settled warmly in his lap his his back to his chest and Agron's hand between his legs. He wasn't sure if the moaning was from the three fingers stretching him, or the thirteen cheese grilled cheese on the television, but Agron liked the think it was him.

At least he hoped it was.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, teasing and toying with each other. Nasir would ride him, slow and dirty, until Agron wasn't sure he could take it anymore and then just stop, settling against him like nothing was going on and it made Agron want to bite and lick and love him. This beautiful body that was still so interesting to him, skirting his hands over Nasir's chest and sides, cupping his hips to bring him harder down on his cock.

"I love you," Agron said simply into the curve of Nasir's shoulder during one of their small breaks, his cock throbbing but his heart clenching when Nasir turned his head to kiss him.

"Is that code for 'let me cum'?" he asked, rearranging his dark limbs to get back to business. 

"That's code for 'you've got about an hour and a half before work so if you plan on showering and looking less ravaged, you better hop to it'," Agron clarified, grinning into Nasir's neck and laughing as the man began to move in earnest.

After that, all he could do is moan.

***

 

"I don't understand how you can move after sex," Agron mumbled, his long body awkwardly folded on the couch as he watched Nasir move around the kitchen and get ready for work.

"Some of us are real people," Nasir offered as an excuse, grabbing a water and a cheese stick from the fridge before tucking it into his bag. 

Agron huffed out a laugh at that, lacing his fingers and resting them on his stomach. He was a real person, usually. A real person that could kill another one. But he could never get up, shower, and get dressed to work a shift after an hour and a half of mind blowing sex. He didn't think he could get up and work a shift ever. Nine to five never really suited him much.

"Can you do the dishes and laundry while I'm at work?" Nasir asked, pulling his hair back and up off of his neck. Agron's eyes were greedy as they looked for some marks, but his skin was still flushed from the hot shower so if they were there, they were masked.

"I can," Agron agreed, scratching at some of the dried cum on his stomach before wrinkling his nose. "I should probably shower, too."

"Should being the operative word," Nasir pointed out, slinging his bag over his shoulder before making his way to the living room. He threw a wet cloth at Agron for him to clean up, eyes fond when he rested his hands on the arm of the couch to bring their faces together. Their kiss was something chaste, a brief press of their mouths together. Agron licked at his lip to taste the mint there, laughing when Nasir rolled his eyes and sucked his nose into his mouth.

"Have a good day, dear," Agron said, waving lazily at Nasir as he left. There was laughter in the hallway, Naevia apparently having been planning to leave at the same time, and Agron was incredibly thankful that he decided to put sweatpants on when Naevia poked her head in.

"Well, this looks familiar," she said, laughing lightly when Agron flipped her off.

"Are you making Crixus do laundry?" Agron asked, not-so-subtly swiping the wet cloth over his stomach as he sat up. His body groaned in protest at the movement, back now sore from having sat with Nasir on top of him for such a long time. "Because Nasir is making me do laundry."

Naevia's hum was thoughtful, lounging against the door frame. "I'm making him do towels, so you don't have to suffer alone."

"Thank fucking God," Agron muttered, waving her off with a faint smile. "Okay, okay, you two kiddies have fun at work. I love you."

Another laugh, accompanied by a roll of her eyes. "Love you, too."

***

 

"We're going to my sister's for Christmas," Agron said, sitting on the washer with his heels rhythmically beating into the font of it. He was folding hand towels, a messy pile to the left and the neat stack to his right, watching Crixus fold the body towels into a basket. "What are you and Naevia doing?"

Crixus shruggued, fumbling slightly with the towel, sighing out. "I'm not sure. Probably just spend it with Spartacus and Mira again. You know there's no snow in the south, right?"

"No," Agron deadpanned. "I had no idea."

Crixus flipped him off lazily, like second nature, and really it was at that point. "I'm just saying, half the fun of Christmas is being cold."

Agron snorted. "That's your idea of fun? You sick, twisted fucker."

There was a comfortable silence between the two of them, the towels folded and Agron starting in on Nasir's sweaters. Way too many of them, hideous in pattern, but Agron loved them. Hell, he loved every inch of that little man. Even when they were fighting it was all Agron could do to not reach out, tug him in for a kiss, and press close to him. A dangerous thing, Agron knew. He had always known, from the first couple weeks of them hanging out. And, well, it hadn't come back to bite him in the ass yet.

"Should we save your presents, then? Or do it before?" Crixus asked, grimacing as he folded some of Agron's boxers. It was a deal--they did laundry together, they folded together, their respective others were happy with the both of them.

"After," Agron said easily, hopping down from the washer as it beeped from readiness. "Get something on sale. That's always the best."

"Amen," Crixus agreed, folding another pair of underwear with the same wounded look. "Dude, can we switch piles? I'm getting sick of fondling your ball-huggers."

"Whiner," Agron accused, taking Crixus' spot with a roll of his eyes. "I've folded Naevia's panties and loved every second of it."

The dryer door slammed shut, Crixus' glare heavy from over his shoulder. "I will kill you, you know that, right?"

Agron blew him a short kiss. "I'm sure those panties loved every second of my fingers caressing their--"

Crixus pounced, Agron dropped. The fight was on.

***

 

Agron was, unsurprisingly, napping on the couch when Nasir came in with a slam of the front door.

"Get naked. Shower. Now," he ordered in four short words, sounding at least eighteen different shades of angry and annoyed so Agron complied because hell, why not. Naked and Nasir were never a bad combination.

The sweats were easily chucked, Agron already in the bathroom by the time Nasir stomped in. There was a stain on his shirt, brown and light, that spoke of coffee hastily being washed out of the cotton. It was an old shirt, something tattered on the hem that he wore when he was predominantly working the kitchen at the cafe, so Agron could only assume that the anger was not because of a ruined Hanes t-shirt.

"Sit on the toilet," Nasir said, actually said but Agron sort of took it as an order. Then he was moving for the shaving kit, and Agron had to say something.

"Uh, dear, I--"

The narrow of Nasir's eyes were enough to silence him, Agron promptly shoving his hands between his knees and falling quiet. "Three days ago you said you were going to shave," Nasir pointed out, not particularly biting but he was still angry about whatever, so Agron chalked it up to not being about him. The sweeping of his hair back was enough for Agron to see the red patches, looking irritated from what was without a doubt Agron rubbing his face into Nasir's soft skin.

And then he kinda felt bad.

He accepted Nasir warmly into his lap, the stained shirt gone but his boxers still on. The towel was hot enough on his face to cause some brief discomfort, but Agron had experienced worse. What was worse was waiting for Nasir to start talking, actually.

"I'm going to kill the new kid," Nasir finally said, tossing the towel into the sink and ah, okay. Agron nodded his head, whether in agreement or a prompt to continue was unspecified but Nasir went on regardless. "I asked him if he cleaned the coffee machine. He says yes with some sass added, like how dare I ask him such a silly question. We hit rush and I didn't bother checking because he said he had but he didn't and fucking seriously Why bother lying? So the coffee was bad, obviously, and a customer threw it at me. Thank fucking God it was iced."

Agron's face was properly lathered at the end of the description, the sink filled with warm water for cleaning. With the first scrape of the razor against his cheek, Nasir continued. "It's like, if you're going to be an asshole, fine. Okay. That's cool. I deal with assholes all the time. But at least be an honest asshole," Nasir seethed, rolling his eyes with a shake of his head. "He makes me want to break shit. I'm talking everything in my sight."

Agron was a little wary of his lover's temper. Nasir was legendary for it, as was Agron, but when Nasir was sitting in his lap, a razor poised in his hand as he shaved Agron's face, being irritable was not something that Agron was in favor of. Still, Nasir was just as gentle as he always was--small strokes of the razor, leaning over to dip it into the sink to get rid of the hair and cream. Agron's hands just cupped his hips, keeping him close, rubbing smoothing circles on the rise of his hipbones. 

"Did you tell Naevia?" Agron asked, voice patient as he tilted his head back as Nasir moved to his throat. There was something about this, the trust needed between the two of them, being vulnerable to Nasir, that was almost irresistible to Agron. The razor against his skin had it burning in a completely different way, mouth suddenly dry and hands restless.

And naturally, Nasir noticed.

"Dude, I'm upset and your popping a boner?" he asked, voice a little incredulous and eyebrows furrowed when he pulled back.

Agron wanted to chuckle but refrained as the razor slid over his Adam's apple. "It's the shaving, not you. Answer the question."

Nasir's hum didn't necessarily sound convinced, but he did continue. "I haven't. I don't know, it's a difficult line between friend and manager. And if he does end up getting fired, than he could always turn around and blame our friendship. It's... messy," Nasir finished with a sigh, stroking his thumb over a strip of freshly shaved skin.

Agron's hum was low and understanding, long fingers beginning to work the muscles of Nasir's lower back slowly. The muscles there were taut with the stress and residual anger, slowly melting out of his boyfriend's frame in a way that made Agron glad he had risked a sliced jugular.

"Tell her," Agron suggested gently, smiling up at Nasir when the man was finished. His face definitely felt less itchy, and a little more cold, but it was worth seeing Nasir smile before he smacked him in the face with the towel again. "At work. Or Mira, next time you see her. She owns the damn thing, and it's not like you're being unreasonable. That's workers performance or some shit."

"Yeah, I know," Nasir agreed, standing up and moving off of him with a short stretch. The room was filling with the steam from the shower, both of them more than eager to get in and press together. Agron wiped his face off slowly, watching Nasir strip and step into the shower with a short little sigh.

"Well, good," he said, only vaguely surprised that Nasir seemed to be listening to him. He stepped into the shower with Nasir, an arm around his waist, dragging his freshly shaven cheek over the curve of his shoulder. "I did laundry," Agron reminded him. "And dishes."

"Oh?" Nasir purred, a hand going to Agron's bicep to squeeze softly. "What a good house-wife you make."

"Crixus punched me in the solar plexus for talking about Naevia's panties," Agron continued, hiding a grin in Nasir's neck.

Nasir huffed out a soft laugh. "Sounds about right."

They were slow to wash one another, lazily swipes of soap and hands, pressing close to kiss whenever they wanted. Agron took care to wash Nasir's hair, working the conditioner in and massaging his scalp. There were too many nights like this, he could recognized--Nasir stressed out and upset, worked too thin and it made Agron hurt. He had just started getting a steady paycheck that helped with the bills without needing to work with Duro and spread himself too far apart. But Nasir had school, and work, and the apartment and still managed to have energy for them.

Agron loved the fighting, really. It was what he was trained for, what he was good at. He knew Nasir would prefer a nine to five job, something steady that would keep him safe and make sure they if the fridge broke or the car needed a new part they would have the funds. And even knowing that Agron could never provide him with that sort of stability, he was still there. Sure, there were fights. There would always be. But then there were nights like these, both of them together as if there was no where else they'd rather be.

"Ich liebe dich," Agron murmured as he tipped Nasir's head back, washing the conditioner from his hair with gentle fingers.

Nasir opened his eyes from under the water, clinging to his lashes as he watched Agron carefully for a moment. There was surprise there that melted into a smile, Nasir's hands coming up to grab a hold of his wrists, bringing each palm to his mouth for a kiss.

"Ana bahebak," Nasir mumbled right back, rising up onto tip-toes for a kiss.

***

 

"So when do you want to leave?" Nasir asked, sitting with his laptop on his crossed legs, hair up and glasses on. Agron wouldn't admit to absently watching him until caught, though, sneaking glances between putting their laundry away.

"Well, probably soon since Christmas is in a week," Agron pointed out, closing the drawer and coming to sit at the edge of the bed. He reached a hand out, running his hand along Lily's back since the cat had seemed to resurface now that Jasmin had left. "How about Thursday night? After my fight?"

"That should work," Nasir agreed, clicking a few times before reaching out for the debit card on the nightstand. "Stay until the 29th?"

Agron shrugged, smiling faintly as Lily purred and arched against his fingers. She was a cross little thing when she wanted, but all rainbows and sunshine whenever Agron scratched her just right. "Yeah, that's good. Plenty of family time."

Nasir snorted. "Plenty of time for someone to break something. Or several things." A few more clicks, the sound of Nasir entering in the debit before he sighed and shut the laptop with a stretch. "And we're good. Christmas in the south, here we come."

Agron abandoned Lily as soon as Nasir was on his back, crawling up to drape himself over his lover warmly. Nasir's fingers went through his hair, nails against his scalp, both of them watching the news on low until Agron was drifting off.

"You're gonna come on Thursday, right?" he asked, breath huffed out against Nasir's neck.

The kiss to his forehead had Agron smiling, even before Nasir turned onto his hip to hug him more tightly and murmur, "I'll never miss one."


End file.
